The Lady Sigrid's Dwarven Minders
by anubislover
Summary: Though hardly the starving slip of a girl they'd met in Laketown, Thorin's Company finds themselves looking out for Sigrid in their own, small ways.
1. Bombur

Bombur

"Something smells good."

With speed that belied his size, Bombur whirled around, ladle raised to smack down on peckish princes or greedy captain of the guards, but he froze when he found himself face-to-face with Bard's eldest daughter.

Swiftly hiding his makeshift weapon behind his back, the ginger cook gave her a nervous smile. "Thank you, m'lady! Balin told me your family would be visiting, so I've been cooking since sunrise!"

"You didn't have to do that just for us," Sigrid replied, blushing slightly as she eyed a mountain of sweet rolls.

"It's no trouble, m'lady," he said shyly. "It's my duty. Besides, you fed us when we came to Laketown; I'm just returning the favor."

Fidgeting slightly, Sigrid attempted to wave it off. "Nonsense! Strange as that visit was, I wasn't going to let you all go hungry." Swallowing, she indicated the boar slowly roasting on the fire. "And I certainly didn't feed you this much."

Bombur chuckled. He was a rather shy Dwarf by nature, but food was a safe topic. He could talk for hours about pies, stews, grilled fish, roast chicken, cakes, bread, and more. "Well, back then we were just ragged travelers, and you were the child of a bargeman. You made do with what you had. Now, you're royalty, and I'm the head cook of Erebor. I think it's within my means to make you a suitable welcoming feast."

"We don't need a feast," she said meekly, rubbing her arm, "and I'd hate to see any of this food go uneaten."

"Don't worry, none of it will go to waste. Really, I have make so much, otherwise Kili and Dwalin will sneak in and eat everything before the table's even set! They're always pinching cookies and mutton without so much as a 'please' or 'thank you.' Always spoiling their supper, those two."

She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, though Bombur hardly heard it over the angry growl that came from the girl's stomach.

Bushy eyebrows furrowing, he looked up at her blushing face. "Have you not had lunch?"

Embarrassed, she averted her gaze. "Well, we were planning on having a little picnic before we reached the mountain, but Tilda had forgotten hers and it was too late to head back, so I let her have mine. She's still growing, after all, so I can't let her go hungry. I just thought I might be able to grab a bit of bread to hold me over for dinner."

"You're growing too, from what I know of Men. Surely just some bread isn't enough?"

She shrugged. "I've made do with less."

The dots connecting in his head, Bombur frowned. It made sense that Bard and his children were no strangers to hunger. How many nights, or even days, had Lady Sigrid gone without so her siblings could have enough? Bifur and Bofur had done that more than a few times back when they were struggling toymakers. It was why he'd taken up cooking; to learn how to make the most out of a meal so no one would have to go hungry. Those skills had kept Thorin's Company going even after they'd lost their supplies in the river, Bombur's ability to make a stew out of anything earning him the position of Erebor's Royal Chef.

Come to think of it, had she eaten the night they'd hidden in their house? Had she gone hungry so a gaggle of strange, waterlogged Dwarves wouldn't starve?

Such kindness would not go unpaid, and empty bellies had no place in his kitchen.

Nodding to himself, he gently but insistently led her over to a small table and began fixing a plate of sweet rolls, potatoes, roast pheasant, and apple turnovers. Setting it down in front of her, he handed her a fork and napkin, then set about filling a goblet with sweet cider.

"Oh! You don't have to—"

"Supper's not for many more hours, m'lady, and no Dwarf worth his beard would allow an honored guest to faint from hunger."

"I'd hardly faint," she protested weakly as the delightful smells tickled her nose, making her stomach grumble again.

He chuckled. He didn't doubt that; Men were sturdier than he'd given them credit for. That didn't mean he'd let her leave with anything less than a full stomach and a smile. "Maybe, but the King would be annoyed if a rumbling belly interrupted his and Bard's trade talks. So really, you're doing it for the benefit of your father, eh?"

Unable to find a suitable argument, Sigrid finally tucked into her plate while Bombur went back to baking bread, silently promising to himself that the Dale princess would never go hungry again.


	2. Nori

Nori

It was rare for the Royal Spymaster to spend time in Dale, but Nori knew there was no better place to find Dori's birthday present. The city's trade had boomed since Bard had slain the dragon, and every day merchants flooded in with rick silks and embroidered tapestries and delicate figurines. Most importantly, there was less risk of Dori knowing what he was getting, considering how he was the one put in charge of Erebor's merchant guilds.

Still, that didn't mean the former thief had much clue what he was looking for. He'd settled on fabric, since Dori loved making himself grand coats and jerkins, but while Nori was an expert at determining the value of silverware and statuettes, fabric was not his forte. Perhaps he should have brought Ori with him…

"Good afternoon, Master Nori," came a feminine voice behind him.

Turning, he gave the Princess of Dale a polite bow. He may have spent much of his youth cavorting with unsavory men and running around in the wild, but his elder brother had done his damnedest to knock some manners into him. "Afternoon, my lady. Running errands for your father?"

Sigrid smiled, shifting her basket so the weight rested on her hip. "For the cook, though I'm sadly about done. I've been sitting in on stuffy council meetings for the past few days, and I simply needed to get outside. Luckily, Helga took pity on me and insisted I was the only one who knew exactly where to get the right spices for tonight's dinner."

The Dwarf chuckled at her small show of mischief. Who would have thought the responsible princess would play hooky? "Aye, I hear ya. Before Erebor, I spent much of my time travelling and living out in the rough. After that, the mountain can feel a bit stifling sometimes."

"Well, in the interest of delaying my return to a stuffy study, is there anything I can help you with, Master Dwarf?"

Nori rubbed his chin, considering. "You know anything about fabrics?"

"A bit. Now that trade's increased, the councilmen have insisted I learn the origin and quality of just about every scrap that comes into the city. It's what we were covering before I slipped away."

A twinkle formed in his eye as he offered his arm. "Well, then why don't you put that knowledge to use and help me pick out Dori's birthday present?"

The polite smile on her lips widened into something more impish as she slipped her hand through his elbow. "That sounds like a lovely idea. I'm sure our beloved councilmen would insist I put their teachings to good use and assist one of King Thorin's most esteemed confidants, even if it does delay my return."

"Absolutely. It's a princess' duty to maintain strong relations with her city's allies, after all."

They spent close to an hour perusing the various stalls, Sigrid expertly reciting her lessons about every bundle of cloth that caught his eye. Despite himself, Nori found he was enjoying spending his time with Dale's princess. She eagerly listened to his tales of living in the wilds near the Blue Mountains, laughing genuinely at his often unsavory exploits. It was nice, especially compared to the genteel horror he usually got from the upper-crust.

Their gaiety was interrupted when Sigrid stopped suddenly and pulled him into a narrow alley behind some fruit carts.

"We hidin' from something?" he whispered, hand going to one of the knives he kept hidden in his coat.

The young woman's face had paled, stiffly pointing in the direction of a large man dressed in dark orange silk. He had a deep scowl on his face as he looked around irritably, prominent mustache twitching. "That's Lord Uther. He's not exactly fond of me, so I avoid him when I can."

"What could he have against you?" he asked, baffled.

"He mistreated his wife, so I encouraged her to run away to Rohan. In our last correspondence, she said she's met a kind, handsome blacksmith, so I've been helping her finalize her divorce."

He couldn't help but chuckle. He'd heard something about that, but he had no idea the princess had been involved. "How scandalous."

"It was a scandal, and he's had it out for me since."

"Why hasn't your father stopped it? Bard doesn't seem the type to let his daughter live in fear."

She shook her head, pressing closer against the wall when the man seemed to glance at the alley. "Da doesn't know, and Uther's always careful to be polite to me when there are witnesses about. Most people don't know why his wife left him, and it's his word against mine. I just wish I could prove what a wretched snake he is! Last time we were alone, he said he'll see me married off to some Eastern prince if it's the last thing he does."

Nori's frown deepened. Sending Sigrid somewhere far away, unable to easily visit her family, was certainly cruel revenge. He recalled Fili saying she'd never been more than a few miles from home, and while some might find going East a grand adventure, the princess certainly wasn't one of them. Straightening his shoulders, he gave her arm a reassuring pat. "Don't you worry; the Dragonslayer won't let anyone marry you off without your consent. And if Uther's as awful as you say, his true colors will show soon enough." Especially if Nori's spy network happened to dig up anything particularly damning and it found its way to Bard's door.

She gave him a small, strained smile. "I just hope it's soon. Hiding in dingy alleys with Dwarves will lose its charm otherwise."

With a chuckle, Nori poked his head out and gave the market a thorough scan. "Looks like he's gone for now. But if he bothers you in the future, mention me to any of the Dwarven merchants and they'll whisk you up to Erebor before you can blink. I'd like to see him marry you off while under King Thorin's protection."

Following him out into the sunlight, they resumed their search. "I appreciate it, Master Nori. It's good to hear I have a place to hide."

"I've had to disappear a few times. I can assure you, the Mountain is far nicer than anyplace I've holed up while one the run."

That earned him another laugh, and within minutes, they'd found a lovely bolt of purple velvet that Nori was certain his brother would absolutely swoon over. It was thick and well-made straight from Gondor, and it was easy to imagine Dori using it to make himself a lovely coat for Durin's Day.

Handing the merchant a small satchel of gold, Nori gave her a grin. "Well, my errand might be finished, but I'm happy to hang about if you'd like."

Sigrid sighed regretfully. "Unfortunately, I should probably be getting back. Today's outing showed me those lessons aren't entirely useless, so I suppose I shouldn't be too keen to avoid them."

Nori shrugged and patted her shoulder. "If you say so. Still, if you ever want a change of scenery, you can always ask to come visit Erebor. I'm sure Dori would love to tell you about every type of fabric in the world. That oughta give you all the lessons you'll ever need."

Laughing, she gave a little curtsy before heading off, throwing a smile and a wave over her shoulder.

Once she was out of sight, Nori ducked into the shadows, popping down a few winding alleys before he found one of his informants.

"Anything you might be looking for, Spymaster?"

With a scowl, he replied, "The home address of one Lord Uther, as well as any information on him you can get. Have at least one person watching him at all times. I want a copy of every letter he sends or receives, plus detailed reports of his interactions with Princess Sigrid."

"And once you have all that?"

A cold smirk crossed his face. "Then it's to find its way into the hands of King Bard, whom I'm certain will be happy to teach him what happens when you threaten a Dragonslayer's daughter."


End file.
